It’s very easy just to carry on with your garden as it is but I find at this time of year, as you clear up the borders, finish the last bit of pruning, weed out the unwanted or desired plants. It’s time to have a hard long look and think about what you have and is it currently working and doing want you want it to
I was doing that this morning in my own tiny back garden and these are just some of the things I was looking at as I was on my way around the borders
Not the clearest picture but it’s my irrigation system. The old porous pipe didn’t really work that well on these narrow, shallow and stony beds. Tbh I knew that last year hence the shiny new pipe behind. The old soaker hose is being replaced with a 4mm dripper hose that waters every 300mm. Not used it before but hoping that will cut down on time. This will come off the bigger black hose. Having a bigger hose installed will mean I can get water to other parts of the garden and install things like dripper hoses. All this will help to cut down watering time and also me forgetting to water (which happens too many times a year I can tell you) Tulips! Now don’t get me wrong I love tulips, but in my garden the big hybrids just don’t work for me. The size is too big and they get battered by the footballs! So they are coming out and will be replaced with much smaller ones that are much tougher! The bigger tulips will just end up in pots near the front door This poor box was the first of my buxus balls to be eaten by the box moth caterpillars last year. It didn’t help as it was hidden by the plastic climbing frame and overshadowed by Rosa Amande Paternotte . It needs to come out and recover. Too be fair, it’s not the ideal place for it so will be replaced by something else These tiny begonias aren’t supposed to be so small or pathetic, but they are. It’s pretty obvious that they don’t like this site so they will be lifted and moved into a pot. This frees up another space to fit in something that will be happier The lambs ears have got out of control and taking up too much border space. They are also spreading into other plants and just need to be cut back and reduced Finally this geranium is looking tired and a bit woody, so I lifted it and divided it and put it back. This will come back nice and strongly in the next few weeks
You see no major changes but just quite a few small ones. These little adjustments can be so important in keeping your garden developing along nicely without any major changes. Just always keep asking yourself is that working? Can it be better? If you don’t want to change it there and then, write it down somewhere to remind you. Then add a plant label or cane next to it. That will help you remember that something ned changing. These little changes helps to develop your Garden and then your garden will keep on looking beautiful
Thank you, Tom, for restoring my confidence in the potential of a small plot, such as yours. It’s good to know that even experienced professional have their failures, and are honest enough to display them for us all to see. I agree completely with your comments about tulips. Not always our fault though. The ‘Red Riding hood’ tulips I bought earlier from a renowned nursery turned out to be unwanted giants, huge ungainly things that look silly in my containers. May I recommend an old favourite which returns year after year with no lack of vigour? It is ‘Baker’s Lilac wonder’ a real gem and so easily grown. Keep up the good work!.
Oh, I remember the box moth caterpillar. I am pleased that it is something that I am unfamiliar with so far.
Because the vegetable garden here is in a situation where several of our crew have access to it, I grow a few items that I would not grow in my personal garden. I loathe carrots, but grow them anyway. It works, even if it is not something I would choose. I also planted three dragon fruit, just because there are posts holding up a deck that are perfect for them. I think they are unsightly, but the situation was so perfect for them.
Thank you, Tom, for restoring my confidence in the potential of a small plot, such as yours. It’s good to know that even experienced professional have their failures, and are honest enough to display them for us all to see. I agree completely with your comments about tulips. Not always our fault though. The ‘Red Riding hood’ tulips I bought earlier from a renowned nursery turned out to be unwanted giants, huge ungainly things that look silly in my containers. May I recommend an old favourite which returns year after year with no lack of vigour? It is ‘Baker’s Lilac wonder’ a real gem and so easily grown. Keep up the good work!.
Oh, I remember the box moth caterpillar. I am pleased that it is something that I am unfamiliar with so far.
Because the vegetable garden here is in a situation where several of our crew have access to it, I grow a few items that I would not grow in my personal garden. I loathe carrots, but grow them anyway. It works, even if it is not something I would choose. I also planted three dragon fruit, just because there are posts holding up a deck that are perfect for them. I think they are unsightly, but the situation was so perfect for them.